What are Custom Labels?
Custom labels are fields in your product feed that you define to group products—for example: margin tier, season, lifecycle (new/last-season), top seller. They unlock smarter product sets and promo logic.
Understanding Custom Labels
Custom labels add merchandising context the platform doesn’t have by default. They power rule‑based templates (for example, show “Save 25%” only on last‑season SKUs) and flexible product sets you can turn on and off. Labels also enable clean reporting by strategy, such as high‑margin versus clearance. Standardized values prevent typos from breaking rules at scale. QA labels ahead of sales so promos don’t misfire.
The most useful custom labels map to decisions you make frequently: margin tier, new vs. last‑season, giftable, hero SKUs. Keep the label system simple so teams can apply it consistently. Tie label updates to merchandising calendars to avoid stale values. Align labels with creative rules so overlays and messages stay accurate. Document the schema so analysts can segment reliably across channels.
Why Custom Labels matter
How Custom Labels work
Custom labels work by adding columns to your product feed and populating them with consistent values. Platforms and tools then use these values in product‑set filters and creative rules to determine which SKUs show with which overlays. Consistency in naming and allowed values is critical to avoid mismatches. Label hierarchies should remain shallow so rules are readable. During promos, label‑driven rules can swap overlays and eligibility instantly. Post‑promo, reports sliced by labels reveal which strategies drove profit.
Key Takeaways
- Custom labels are feed attributes (custom_label_0 through custom_label_4) you control for segmentation.
- Use custom labels to group products by margin, seasonality, performance, or business priority.
- Segment campaigns and product sets by custom labels to optimize bidding and creative strategy.
- Update custom labels regularly to reflect inventory changes and business priorities.
